Machine for inserting pile weather stripping into grooves of storm window extrusions



Aug. 15, 1967 M. H. ELLENBERG ETAL 3,335,487

MACHINE FOR INSERTING PILE WEATHER STRIPPING INTO GROOVES OF STORMWINDOW EXTRUSIONS BY JOHN I. ROUGH mM-( ATTORNEYS MACHINE FOR INSERTINGPILE WEATHER STRIPPING INTO GROOVES OF STORM WINDOW EXTRUSIONS 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 25, 1965 m INVENTORS g1; m MAX H- ELLENBERGBERNARD wElNER E 4 6 BY JOHN I. RoUCH ATTORNEYS United Statesn atentMACHINE FUR INSER'ING PlLE WEATHER STRWPENG INTO GROOVES GF STORM WINDUWEXTRUSIONS Max H. Ellenberg and Bernard Weiner, Philadelphia, Pa., and.lohn l. Rouch, Nashville, Tenn., assignors to Storm Weather ProductsCo., Inc., Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed .lune 25, 1965, Ser. No. 467,073 9 Claims. (Cl. 29-235) Thisinvention relates to a machine for inserting tapes of pile weatherstripping into the grooves of storm window extrusions. Moreparticularly, it relates to a method and apparatus for incorporatingilexible tapes within long lengths of metal extrusions that willultimately be cut and fabricated into storm door and window componentsrequiring a weather seal with a cooperating movable member.

As is well known, storm windows and doors are fabricated from 16 or18-fo0t lengths of extruded aluminum members which are cut to size andsubsequently mitered together as a frame about a suitably sized window.Usually, tapes of wool pile material are inserted within complementaryslots or grooves in the extrusions, the pile being adapted to abutagainst a cooperating member so as to act as a seal in keeping outdrafts. In the past, the wool pile tapes were threaded into the slots ofthe 16 or 18- foot extrusions by hand. This would require a workmanstarting at one end of the extremely long extrusion, threading one endof the tape from a spool into the groove, and -then hand pulling thetape along the entire length of the extrusion. Such a manual operationnecessarily resulted in a time-consuming and costly procedure. Whilemachines for automatically inserting these tapes have been devveloped,it was difficult for the prior art machines to accommodate for changesin extrusion size, shape, and conformation as Well as for variations ingauge of the tape being dispensed. All in all, what prior machines hadbeen made were expensive in operation and costly to maintain.

lt is therefore an object of this invention to provide a machine forautomatically inserting ilexible weather stripping tapes into grooves ofstorm window extrusions.

Another object of this invention is to provide a machine for easilyinserting such tapes and at the same time accommodating rapidly andefficiently for any variations in tape gauge or in extrusion size, shapeand conformation.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus andmethod for etliciently and economically incorporating exible tapes ofwool pile into the slots of storm window extrusions.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method forincorporating tapes of flexible material into slots of extrusions of anylength.

Other objects of this invention are to provide an improved device of thecharacter described which is easily and economically produced, that issturdy in construction, and highly efficient and effective in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists ofthe details of construction and combination of parts as will be morefully understood from the following detailed description when read inconjunction with the accompanying `drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is atop plan view of a machine for inserting pile weatherstripping into grooves of storm window extrusions.

-FIGURE 2 is an elevational view thereof taken generally along lines 2 2of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the loading endof the machine.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the releasing or terminal endof the machine.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the weatherstripping is started into the extrusion groove.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings in which similarreference characters refer to similar parts, the tape inserting machineof the instant invention comprises a frame, generally designated as A, acarrier member B longitudinally movable in said frame, and jaw means Csecured to the carrier member and adapted to grasp tape D dispensed froma reel at one end of the machine and thread the same through anelongated extrusion E to the other end.

The frame A of the machine comprises a horizontal table member 10supported by suitable legs 12 which can be made of angle iron, forexample. Mounted at opposite ends of the frame A are bearings 14 and 16for journalling the shafts of respective pulleys 18 and 20 about which acontinuous carrier belt 22 is trained. The table top is approximately 18feet long so as to accommodate the nominal standard l-foot lengths ofextrusion stock E. An adjustable stop member 24 is bolted to the tabletop 10l at the discharge end of the machine and is adapted to orient andrapidly position each extrusion E with respect to the jaw means C inpreparation for threading of the tape D therethrough.

The carrier member B which includes the belt 22 entrained about thepulleys 18 and 20, is driven by a conventional motor-gear reducer unit26 so that the belt 22 will travel at a longitudinal speed ofapproximately 21/2 feet per second. A limit switch 28 is mounted at theloading end of the machine and has series contacts for connecting themotor 26 to a suitable source of electric power. The switch 28 may be arotary, oil-tight limit switch, such as is described in Allen-BradleyBulletin No. 802T and having a pivot arm 30. Moving rotary arm 30 byhand to the downwardly depending position shown by the dotted lines inFlGURE 3, will couple the motor 26 to the source of electrical power andcause said motor to run the carrier member B. The carrier member B willcontinue to run in a clockwise direction, as shown in FIGURE 3, untilone of the jaw members C engages the switch arm 30, and cause it to turnupwardly through so as to open the internal switch contacts and stop themotor. At the other end of the machine and vertically opstanding fromthe table top 10 is a stationary vertical rod or post 32 which also isin the path of and engages the jaw means C as each passes thereby torelease the tape D automatically at the end of each extrusion threadingoperation. See FIGURE 4.

The jaw means C and C1 comprise a pair of holding members which aresecured to the belt 22 and are peripherally spaced from each other byJaw C is adapted to grasp the end of the tape D after the latter hasbeen partially threaded or engaged within the longitudinally extendedslot or groove provided therefor in the extrusion E. After the jaw C haspulled the tape D through an extrusion E as a result of rotation of thecarrier B and has automatically released the tape at the end of itsstroke, the jaw C1, 180 in advance. will have engaged the arm 30 ofswitch 28 to cut off the power to the .motor 26. The jaw C1 will thencoast around to the loading position previously occupied by the jaw C.

The jaws C and C1 are identical in every respect, each comprising astationary portion 34 having a bracket or flange 36 secured to the belt22 by bolts 38. A movable jaw 4l) is hingedly secured to the stationaryjaw 34 and pivotally supported about trunnion 42. The lower porltion ofthe movable jaw 40 has a pad or cushion 41 which is adapted to abut thefixed jaw 34. A stud 44 is threaded into the fixed jaw 34 and freelyextends through an opening 45 in the movable jaw 40 and its pad 41. Coilspring 46 is concentrically interposed about stud 44 'in compressionbetween the stud head and the back of the movable jaw 40 so as tonormally bias the latter into abutment with the xed jaw 34. Projection39 at the inboard end of the movable jaw extends above the belt 22 andis adapted to open the movable jaw 4t) against the bias of the spring 46either by hand during loading of the tape D or by abutment with the post32 during its pass so as to automatically release the tape. Theprojecting arm 39 also serves to actuate the arm 30 so as to open thecontacts of switch 28.

The tape D comprises long thin strips of backing 5t), approximately 1/32inch thick by 1A inch wide, from which a somewhat narrow band of pile 52extends outwardly. The strip 50 is inserted within a longitudinallyextending slot or channel 54 in the extrusion E so that the pile portion54 projects above the surface whereby the weather stripping C canperform its assigned task. The extrusions E are 16 or 18 feet long, andafter the tapes D are inserted, they are cut and mitered to theappropriate size to frame the window itself.

The tape D is dispensed as a continuous roll from a reel 48 at theloading end of the machine. See `FIGURE 2. One end of the tape D isslightly twisted and sidled as shown in FIGURE 5 into the slot 54 at theproximal end of the extrusion E placed on the table top 1t). The jaw Coverlying the loading end is manually opened by pressing againstprojection 39. The end of the tape D is grasped when the bias of thespring 46 closes the movable jaw member 40. The arm 30 is now swungdownwardly by hand to close the switch 28 and actuate the motor powercircuit. See FIGURE 3. The carrier lB will turn in a clockwise rotation,as shown in FIGURE l, and the jaw C will travel longitudinally with thebelt 22. When the jaw C passes the post 32, projection 39 is engagedthereby to release the tape D after it has been entirely threadedthrough the extrusion slot S4. Meanwhile, `the jaw C1 will have movedaround pulley 18 where its projection 39 will kick against the limitswitch arm 30 to open the motor 26 contacts. The carrier B will coastaround slightly until the jaw C1 is in loading position. The tape D iscut or broken at the proximal end overlying the loading portion of thetable so that the tape threaded extrusion E now completed can be removedand a new extrusion loaded.

Although our invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting sin-cethe invention may be variously embodied and the scope of the inventionis to be determined as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine for inserting tapes of pile weather stripping into groovesof elongate extrusions comprising: a frame, a table portion forsupporting extrusion to be weather stripped on said frame, a pair ofpulleys rotatably supported in said iframe and horizontally spaced fromeach other a distance substantially equal to the length of oneextrusion, a continuous belt carried by said pulleys at a height justabove said table portion, a pair of jaws secured to said belt at 180peripheral intervals from each other, motor drive means coupled to oneof said pulleys, an electrical switch on said frame adjacent Jcheloading end thereof and electrically coupled with said motor, a pivotalarm on said switch for hand movement into a position at which said motorwill be actuated to drive said belt in a preferential direction, saidpivotal arm when in motor actuating position being interposed in thepath of travel of said jaws so as to be engaged upon and shut said motoroff automatically as each jaw passes thereby, one of said jaws graspingan end' of the tape being threaded into the extrusion at the loadlng endof the table, and means at the terminal end of said table engaging saidtape loaded jaw and automatically releasing the tape therefrom in itspassage thereby so that one of said jaws will longitudinally insert thetape along the entire length of the extrusion groove while the other ofsaid jaws will turn the machine off after the extrusion is weatherstripped.

2. A machine for inserting tapes of pile weather stripping into groovesof elongate extrusions comprising a table supporting one of saidextrusions at a time and having a loading end and a terminal end, acontinuous carrier rotatably supported as a closed loop in said table, apair of jaws secured to said carrier and spaced from each other at18()lo of arc, one of said jaws being initially positioned at a loadingend of said table and adapted to grasp an end of tape being threadedinto the extrusion, means to turn said carrier, discharging means at theterminal end of said table interposed in the path of travel of the jawgrasping the tape and automatically actuating the release thereof inpassage thereby, and switch means at the loading end of said tableinterposed in the path of travel of the other of said jaws and actuatedthereby to cut off said means to turn and stop said carrierautomatically after the rst jaw has completed a longitudinal stroke.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein resilient means biases each of saidjaws into closed position, and a projection on said jaws engages againstsaid discharging means in respective passage thereby to open said jawsagainst the bias of said resilient means.

4. A machine for inserting tape into an extrusion member comprising:

means for supporting the extrusion member and having a loading end and aterminal end,

jaws normally biased into closed position for grasping the tape, meansfor conveying said jaws along a path substantially parallel to thesupported extrusion member,

and tripper means adjacent the terminal end of the said extrusionsupporting rneans and interposed in the path of travel of said jaws forautomatically actuating the opening thereof as said jaws pass thereby,

whereby tape grasped by said jaws at the loading end and started intosaid extrusion member will be threaded therethrough to the terminal endat which time said tripper means will automatically cause said jaws toopen against the opposing bias holding them closed and release the tapetherefrom.

5. The machine of claim 4 including means for actuating the movement ofsaid conveying means at the starting portion of the cycle, and means forautomatically stopping the movement of said conveyin-g means at the endportion of the cycle.

6. The machine of `claim 5 wherein one of said jaws is movable and theother of said jaws is affixed to said conveying means, said movable jawincluding a projection for engaging said tripper means.

7 The machine of claim 6 wherein said tripper means constitutes astationary member aixed to said extrusion supporting means.

8. The machine of claim S wherein said means 4for automatically stoppingthe movement of said conveying means constitutes a switch including alever interposed in the path of travel of said jaws.

9. A machine for inserting tape into an extrusion comprising:

means supporting said extrusion and having a loading end and a terminalend,

means constituting a carrier for moving in a direction substantiallyparallel to said extrusion and spaced adjacent thereto,

a xed jaw member supported on said carrier,

a movable jaw member coupled with said xed jaw member, means biasingsaid movable jaw member toward said 5 6 xed jaw member so that the tapecan be grasped References Cited therebetween at the loading end of saidextrusion UNITED STATES PATENTS supporting means, and tripper meansadjacent the terminal end interposed jgogg ,2/ Wpghteld 23:2315 X in thepath of travel of said movable jaw member 5 6 Selen 2 2 1 X and engagingtherewith as said movable jaw passes l. T thereby so as to actuate therelease of the tape auto- WILLIAM FELDMAN P'lmary Examiner' matically atthe terminal end. J. C. PETERS, Assistant Examiner.

9. A MACHINE FOR INSERTING TAPE INTO AN EXTRUSION COMPRISING: MEANSSUPPORTING SAID EXTRUSION AND HAVING A LOADING END AND A TERMINAL END,MEANS CONSTITUTING A CARRIER FOR MOVING IN A DIRECTION SUBSTANTIALLYPARALLEL TO SAID EXTRUSION AND SPACED ADJACENT THERETO, A FIXED JAWMEMBER SUPPORTED ON SAID CARRIER, A MOVABLE JAW MEMBER COUPLED WITH SAIDFIXED JAW MEMBER,